Exercise pad assembly

ABSTRACT

A method of exercising is provided for using an exercise pad assembly. The exercise pad assembly includes a pair of panels that are each positionable on a support surface thereby facilitating a user to place the user&#39;s feet thereon. A sheet is coupled to each of the panels and the sheet abuts the support surface. The sheet is comprised of an elastomeric material to frictionally engage the support surface. The sheet inhibits the panels from sliding along the surface when the user slides the user&#39;s feet along the panels for the purposes of exercise. The method includes steps of positioning the exercise pad assembly, sliding a user&#39;s feet on the exercise pad assembly, and storing the exercise pad assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

I hereby claim the benefit under 35 U.S.C., Section 120 of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/885,903 filed Feb. 2, 2018, which in turn claimsbenefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional application62/499,697 filed Feb. 3, 2017.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Descriptionof Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to exercise devices and moreparticularly pertains to a new method of using an exercise device toexercise when the user is seated or lying down.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising use of a pair of panels that are each positionableon a support surface thereby facilitating a user to place the user'sfeet on the panels. A sheet is coupled to each of the panels and thesheet abuts the support surface. The sheet is comprised of anelastomeric material to frictionally engage the support surface. Thus,the sheet inhibits the panels from sliding along the support surfaceallowing the user to slide the user's feet along the panels for thepurposes of exercise.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise pad assembly according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 of anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a method of using the exercise padassembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through7 thereof, a new exercise device embodying the principles and conceptsof an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by thereference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the exercise pad assembly 10generally comprises a pair of panels 12. Each of the panels 12 ispositioned on a support surface 14, such as a floor, a bed, an articleof furniture and any other support surface. A user 16 slides the user'sfeet 18 along the panels for the purposes of exercise. Each of thepanels 12 has a first surface 20, a second surface 22 and a peripheraledge 24 extending therebetween. The peripheral edge 24 corresponding toeach of the panels 12 has a first lateral side 26, a second lateral side44, a front side 28 and a back side 30. Moreover, the first surface 20corresponding to each of the panels 12 angles downwardly toward thefirst lateral side 26 of the corresponding panel to define a chamfer 32on the corresponding panel 12.

A sheet 34 is coupled to each of the panels 12 and the sheet 34 abutsthe support surface 14. The sheet may fully cover the panels 12 orpartially cover the panels 12 and the sheet 34 is comprised of anelastomeric material. Thus, the sheet 34 frictionally engages thesupport surface 14 thereby inhibiting the panels 12 from sliding alongthe support surface 14. In this way the panels 12 remain stationary whenthe user 16 slides the user's feet 18 along the panels 12. The sheet 34has a primary surface 36 and a secondary surface 38, and the secondsurface 22 corresponding to each of the panels 12 is coupled to theprimary surface 36 of the sheet 34 having the sheet 34 covering each ofthe panels 12. Additionally, the secondary surface 38 of the sheet 34engages the support surface 14 when the panels 12 are positioned on thesupport surface 14.

The first lateral side 26 of each of the panels 12 is aligned with eachother and is spaced apart from each other to define a fold space 40between the panels 12. Each of the panels 12 is positionable in anunfolded position having the first surface 20 corresponding to each ofthe panels 12 being oriented coplanar with each other. Additionally,each of the panels 12 is positioned in a folded position having thesheet 34 being compressed between the panels 12. The chamfer 32 on eachof the panels 12 inhibits the first lateral side 26 of each of thepanels 12 from engaging each other when the panels 12 are positioned inthe unfolded position. In this way fingers or the like are inhibitedfrom being pinched between the panels 12 when the panels 12 arepositioned in the unfolded position.

An optional strip 42 may be provided and the strip 42 may be coupledbetween each of the panels 12 such that each of the panels 12 isfoldably coupled together. The strip 42 may be positioned on the firstsurface 20 corresponding to each of the panels 12. The strip 42 mayextend between the front side 28 and the back side 30 corresponding toeach of the panels 12 and the strip 42 may be oriented to extend acrossthe fold space 40. The strip 42 may curve upwardly across the fold space40 when the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position. Moreover,the strip 42 may be stretched between the panels 12 when the panels 12are positioned in the unfolded position.

In use, the panels 12 are positioned in the unfolded position and thepanels 12 are positioned on the support surface 14 having the sheet 34lying on the support surface 14. The user 16 places the user's feet 18on the panels 12 and user 16 slides the user's feet 18 along the panels12. In this way the user 16 may slide the user's feet 18 along thepanels 12 while seated for the purposes of exercising the user's feetand legs. The user 16 can press the user's heels against the panels 12,the balls of the user's feet and the user's feet 18 can be positioned onthe panels 12 in any selected orientation to engage different musclegroups in the feet and legs. Moreover, the sheet 34 inhibits the panels12 from sliding along carpet, other floor treatments, fabric upholsteryon furniture, and any other material associated with the support surface14. Additionally, the panels 12 are positioned in the folded positionfor storage. Consistent with the above, the exercise pad assembly 10provides for a method of exercising 50 as shown in FIG. 7. The method ofexercising 50 includes an initial step 52 of having the exercise padassembly 10. A setup step 54 incorporates positioning of the exercisepad assembly 10 on the support surface 14 with the second surface 22 ofthe panels 12 facing downwardly towards the support surface 14. Anexercising step 56 incorporates positioning of the user's feet onto thefirst surface 20 of the panels 12 and sliding the user's feet along thefirst surface 20. The exercising step 56 may incorporate angling of theuser's feet relative to the lateral sides of the panels 12 and movingthe user's feet in a linear, arced, or circular motion. The exercisingstep 56 may also incorporate pressing of the heel, ball, toes, mediallateral side or exterior lateral side of each of the user's feet intothe panels 12 to enhance stretching of muscles in the user's foot and/orleg. The method 50 utilizing the exercise pad assembly 10 facilitatesexercise of the feet and legs in compact spaces such as within publictransport. The method 50 further includes a storage step 58 after theexercising step 56 wherein the exercise pad assembly 10 may be foldedinto a compact position and stored in a small space to facilitatecarrying of the exercise pad assembly while not in use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A method of exercising, the steps of the method comprising:having an exercise pad assembly comprising a pair of panels, each ofsaid panels being configured to be positioned on a support surface, anda sheet being coupled to each of said panels wherein said sheet isconfigured to abut the support surface, said sheet being comprised of anelastomeric material wherein sheet is configured to frictionally engagethe support surface thereby inhibiting said panels from sliding on thesupport surface; positioning the exercise pad assembly on the supportsurface; and exercising by sliding of at least one of a user's feet onthe exercise pad assembly.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereineach of said panels has a first surface, a second surface and aperipheral edge extending therebetween, said peripheral edgecorresponding to each of said panels having a first lateral side, asecond lateral side, a front side and a back side, said second surfacecorresponding to each of said panels angling downwardly toward saidfirst lateral side of said corresponding panel to define a chamfer onsaid corresponding panel, the steps of the method further comprising thepositioning step incorporating positioning of the first surface of eachpanel facing the support surface; and the exercising step incorporatingsliding of the at least one of the user's feet on the second surface ofat least one of the panels.
 3. The method according to claim 2, whereinsaid sheet has a primary surface and a secondary surface, said firstcorresponding to each of said panels being coupled to said primarysurface of said sheet having said sheet covering each of said panels,said first lateral side of each of said panels being aligned with eachother and being spaced apart from each other to define a fold spacebetween said panels, the steps of the method further comprising storingthe exercise pad assembly by folding the panels into a compact positionand placing the exercise pad assembly into a storage space.
 4. Themethod according to claim 3, wherein each of said panels is positionablein an unfolded position having said second surface corresponding to eachof said panels being oriented coplanar with each other, the step ofpositioning the exercise pad assembly further comprising unfolding thepanels and positioning the second surfaces of the panels to be coplanarover the support surface.
 5. The method according to claim 3, whereinthe steps of the method further include each of said panels being foldedhaving said sheet being compressed between said panels, said chamfer oneach of said panels inhibiting said first lateral side of each of saidpanels from engaging each other when said panels are positioned in saidunfolded position wherein said chamfers are configured to inhibitfingers from being pinched between said panels when said panels arepositioned in said unfolded position.